


A warrior's crusade

by SaekiSQ



Category: The 100 (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Fantasy, Alternate Universe - Medieval, F/F
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-02-14
Updated: 2016-10-19
Packaged: 2018-05-20 07:21:08
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 4
Words: 15,596
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5996670
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SaekiSQ/pseuds/SaekiSQ
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Clexa in Medieval Fantasy mode. Clarke is a bounty hunter in times of kings, knights and castles, dark warriors and black magic. A captured queen and a substantial reward will make the gears of fate begin to move. (I suck at summaries)</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Clarke

**Author's Note:**

> Disclaimer- A/N: Hello to all who venture into this AU. None of the characters in The 100 belong to me and my crazy stories have nothing to do with the universe presented in books or TV series. I only took the liberty of taking them to a medieval world and leave them be ... in the next chapters I will try to tell their adventures.

_Prologue_

Algira rode south hastily, she knew it was a camp of warriors loyal to the crown settled there, but after the persecution she wasn't sure if that was the right direction. Her horse was very tired and her pursuers got loser and closer.

Those men ambushed her and the royal court when they were reaching the banks of the river Thiótika, crossing the kingdom of Vanaheim at its west end.

Algira had long been separated from her maidens, the soldiers who were there to protect her had fallen in the blink of an eye and the ladies who accompanied her travel risked their lives for her to escape. -she could still hear the piercing screams of one of them when one of those monsters attacked her. And monsters was the best way to describe them.

Riders dressed in heavy dark armor and heavily armed appeared before them that quiet evening in their travel through the countryside of the kingdom. They seemed to have come out of hell itself.

They directly attacked the knights who were guarding them. One of the riders shouting orders to others at all times, Algira guessed he was the man in command and she was partly right. His voice rose above the quiet grove, to which they had entered minutes before, when he ordered two of his warriors to hunt the queen who tried to escape on her white steed.

A shiver ran down the back of the woman when she heard the voice of her pursuer while urging her horse to increase the speed of the flight.

Algira didn't know why she was being hunted down, she never did anything wrong against anyone, altoughtthe group o black worrior, wishing for her death so fervently made her doubt. But that wasn't what concerned her the most at the time, she would give her life and more to protect the child she was carrying.

The queen had reached the end of the forest, to her right were green velvet hills and in front of her the Vanaheim Valley, an area of emerald grass and open space. She had taken the wrong turn at some point and had no place to hide from the approaching riders. But there was no choice but to keep moving forward. Shee tensed her body on the white horse and prepared for the worst.

She heard the furious gallope o the knights horses approaching her tired steed. It felt like the earth was shaking behind her.

Early that day she marvelled at the bright summer sky, now the afternoon sun began to darken. Huge storm clouds began to cover the dying sun, completely submerging the Vanaheim valley into a premature darkness. A gray shadow stained everything that moments before had been intensely green.

Beads of sweat ran down her temple while two riders flanked her steed, a third sped and galloped ahead of her. She was surrounded.

* * *

**Chapter 1 -** **Clarke**

Among a thicket of secluded woodland, a petite girl walked upright and proud but in silence. She moved slowly toward the nearest village, just north from Greiss Forest, where she lived (in the northernmost tip of the continent, far away from the bustling capital of the kingdom, the almight city of Vanaheim).

For nearly three months she had been confined to her small house in the middle of the forest, an uninhabited place. But it was time to hunt again, the sedentary ife did not suit her. Though she loved the tranquility of nature and the wise silence of his books, through her body ran adventurous blood and she couldn't ignore its call.

Sidestepping a couple of enormous trees she found the narrow road that directed to the village, remembering her last prey. A petty thief who had dared to rob a wealthy merchant from a neighboring village. The trader had set price on the head of the man and that was all she needed to know. He was captured, it was an easy prey. She wasn't interested in justice for theft, she needed the reward and so gave the thief the authorities. She didnt care for what they did with him and gold coins gave her some deserved three months of rest.

Because that was what Clarke did, she was a bounty hunter, and very skilled one. She lived in peace with the world, if the world had peace with her.

She thought of herself a simple girl like any other; barely over twenty years old, she was a known proud owner of a strong will and difficult temper.

Leaving behind the forest she lowered the hood of her cloak, receiving the sun fully on her face, in the thickets of the forest sunlight was very hard to find.

Her dark blue eyes, the color of a sky announcing storms, shone with the sunlight and along with her small upturned nose gave her the semblance of proud warrior, but her beauty seemed darkened by a gloomy shadow that fell over her. Someone who knew her well could tell it was because of her past, that story that was so heavy on her heart, one she couldn't get rid of.

But nobody knew her, the only person who did, had left her five years ago. Old age had taken Freyr three winters ago, he was the only person whom she could call family, now she was alone. Although it no longer mattered, she knew how to take care o herself and even trained knights of the kingdom feared her.

A slight breeze rising from the valley flutter her blond wavy hair, she could see the small village in the distance. The gust of wind brought the smells of the hamlet and triggered memories in her mind that she tried to suppress without much success. She remembered that winter morning when she was alone in the main square in a remote village, she was so young, not more than five years old. It was the first memory she had, nothing before that was clear in her memory. But that happened a long ago, she shook the feeling and kept walking.

The villagers didn't notice when Clarke came into the main square. Merchants and farmers offered their products to the people passing by, mothers with their children haggled prices of vegetables and other goods, children ran between the weakling stands at the risk of knocking one down, hundreds of voices rose above the morning mist which was beginning to dissipate.

Clarke continued walking, she was not interested in those things, and never stopped to look at the people who was passing between the merchants. Her visit to the town aimed to find her next prey, an unfortunate wretch who had made a mistake for which some village authorities have put a price on its head. The capture, hopefully, would deliver enough coins to last a good period in the forest, where peace was queen and empress.

As she roamed the streets of the town, Clarke listened intently to all the whispers and rumors that were scattered in corners and alleys. They were the main source of information. Three months ago, in a remote corner of the village, she heard from two men, old peasants, while they talked with disdain about what happened to the thief who dared to steal one of the most important masters of the region. Clarke just had to prawl in a couple of villages near by 'till she found the man. He was hiding in the hills that bordered on the north end of Thiótika river and Clarke only had to use minor viiolence before he was convinced to surrender. He was weak.

She kept wandering around. Near the village chapel, a group of young people who could hardly be described as teenagers, gathered under a large tree. The sun already shone over the entire village, filling with life the small houses surrounding the main square. Some children ran down the street and their voices filled the morning breeze with the youthful excitement that emanated from their laughter. But the breeze took to Clarke's ears more than the laughter of the children. The word "reward" was clearly captured by the girl from the noise of the village. It came froom near the tree that Clarke had passed moments ago, the group of young people had spoken causing her to turn around to listen.

She pretended to be interested in some fabrics sold by plump lady in one of the street stalls; (unthinkable thing for her on a normal day) staying close enough to get some more information.

"It's all lies" stated the smallest kid, his very blue eyes sparkling with innocent excitement. "I don't think they've kidnapped the queen, the king's army is very powerful, who would dare to face it?"

"Anyone who knew the right moment to do it" was the reply from other boy, he was leaning against the tree trunk, eyes closed. "They say it happened during the queen evening ride, twenty men ambushed them when they reached the river by the skirting of Naros mountains and took her away.

"Twenty Men?" asked a third boy, joining the conversation, lying on a bed of herbs under the same tree "We can take them, if the reward is what they said, I would kill them myself"

His defiance angered Clarke. This young man had a body composition that would not scare or a six year old girl, yet he was ready to face twenty men for amount, apparently exorbitant, of gold.

' _They have no idea what it takes to kill a man'_. Clarke muttered to herself.

"You like it, dear?" the owner of stand noticed how the girl stared intently at her fabrics. "It's good quality. You'd make a very nice dress."

"A dress?" Clarke repeted. The womans words took her by surprise. She didn't wear dresses under any circumstance, they were totally uncomfortable, but the lady in front of her radiated so much goodness that forced her to answer with unusual kindness. "Maybe another time"

She smiled at her. That was a good woman.

Slowly, almost casually, she got closer to the guys who were still talking.

"Did you hear where they think the warriors were taking the queen" one of them asked .

"The Elders said something about Vali" the little one replied. "But that's so far away"

"Not only far. It is close to Duatros, I wouldn't risk to getting there just to get killed" this time the three boys nodded enphatically. "That city is too... I don't know... wild"

"Yeah, it's true. People say there are very tough warriors living there"

Clarke smiled as she walked away, she already had taken over a couple of those as mighty warriors, it was just his reputation that frightened people. The only useful thing she got from that conversation was the need for more information.

With hurried pace she went to where the town officials where having a meeting and her doubts were answered without even having to ask. One of the elders was hammering a scroll on the village notice board, the paper confirmed everything Clarke had heard. The queen had been captured and the king offered fifty thousand pieces gold to whom returned her to the castle safe and sound.

Clarke knew it wouldn't be easy, but ddin't have anything to lose. If she succeeded she could live without complications in the forest for a long time. If she didn't...

She shrugged, not really worrying about the future. She looked at the parchment again and draw a mental route to her next destination, the Vali forest.

She left the main square while thinking about preparations for the journey.

This time, the trip would be longer than usual, she would have to cross the Great Sea to reach the forest, not to mention that she must first reach Gorban, the fishing village. She also you need a boat. "Damn," she thought, "How will I get a boat, or something strong enough to float across the sea?".

She would worry about that later, she could always hide in a fishing ship and..., well, the first thing to do was to gather her things and find the map that Freyr had left her.

* * *

The queen Algira, awoke from a heavy sleep. She remembered nothing of what happened before, not even how long she had been asleep.

Her vision was clearing slowly. When the queen recognized where she was, everything came painfully to her memory. She remembered that the black knights had intercepted her and her cohort, pursuing her though the valley of Vanaheim. Then darkness.

Sh rose with difficulty, and felt a sharp pain in the back of her head.

"Are you alright, my dear Queen?"a honeyed voice came from the top of a gigantic staircase rising beyond where Algira sore could see. A hooded figure began to descend.

Algira looked around. She was in a very dark place, only a couple of torches lit up the stairs in front of her and the place where she was immobilized, chained to a wall of solid rock. It seemed to be dungeon because no external light or window could be seen.

"I asked if you were alright" the hooded mans voice, which continued descending the steps slowly, lost some of its original charm.

"Who wants to know?" Algira replied. It was not the first time she faced dangerous men, she knew how to handle guys like these.

"A humble servant, my queen. You are very important to us. I deeply regret that my knights weren't very ... polite, I think their training doesn't teach them good manners.

"I don't consider 'good manners' having a queen chaind to a wall, either". Algira replied undaunted. The hooded figure approached her, chuckling, but still in the shadows.

"I'm glad you still have your sense of humor, your highness. Know that here you are not in danger, we don't want to hurt you. We have more important goals"

"Our kingdom"the queen didn't necessarily use a questioning tone. "My husband won't give you the kingdom so easily, his army will be knocking at this castle doors any time.

"No such thing will happen... if he want to see you again alive again" the man said. "I believe his waie is important to him... as his child"

Algira was speechless. _How did he know?_. It was a small pregnancy and only few inside the castle, very close friends to the crown, knew about it.

"Yes, my dear Queen, I know what the child you're carrying. Do not be surprised. It's a boy destined for great things"

"Wha... What do you mean?" Algira asked, although she knew what he was talking about. The sorceress they had consulted said they expected a child, a baby boy. In addition, she told the she saw great things in the path of Vanaheim's heir to the throne, he would have a great destiny.

"I'll tell you if you really want to know" He came near one of the torches and removed the hood of his black robe. His face could be inally seen thanks to the fire dancing in front of him. Algira gasped in horror. His face had a deep scar that furrowed his face from the left eyebrow to the lower right edge of his mouth. His eyes had an ethereal glow of evil that even the most seasoned of his men feared.

"Crowner" the queen bellowed. "I never thought you could something like this, I demand that you tell me the truth, what do you want from me?"

"Please, don't be scared, your Highness. Your son who will help me get what I want"

"You want to the realm of Vanaheim to be part o your domains?" she wanted to cry, the queens courage was decreasing significantly with each passing second, the evil man in front of her was the cause of many nightmares. "We can make a deal, let me go and Alaric will give whatever land you want"

Crowner laughed again.

He circled the queen with slow steps, but determined. He was trying to intimidate her. She couldnt look him in the eyes

"I doubt my old friend, Alaric, cares more about you than his kingdom. Besides, my dear queen" he whispered in her ear "I do not want some lands. I want it all"

* * *

The road back home took lesstime than she epected. _Returns always seem shorter_ , Clarke thought while dodged the last corner and could see her little cottage.

She had been meditating on what she would do all the way home. Rescue a queen was not an easy job. Who has kidnapped her must have compelling reasons to do so, and a good army to back it up. It wouldn't be like catch a petty thief.

But Clarke wasnt interested in dealing with this army. She would find the queen, rescue her and return her to the king before the alleged captor noticed she was even there. She just needed to devise a goog plan, know the terrain.

For now, her goal was to get to the Vali forest and see what leads she could pick up along the way.

She packed her things, not carrying a lot of weight. She could hunt for food along the way.  
Putting the old map of Freyr gave to her in her lether bag, then took her bow and quiver full ofarrows, tho she didnt expect to need them.  
Before eciting the cottage, she looked again at her humble possesions, all the things she had shared for so many years with Freyr. Het gut told her she wont see this place again, but quickly shook her head at the thought. She was heading for the door when something stopped her.

The brightness of a sword caught his eye.

It was all she had from when she was a child, her parents had left her, or so she thought. It was lighter than any sword she ever had in her hands. The hilt was embroidered in gold and silver, in the center shone a small ruby, enhanced by the light streaming through a crack in the window. But she didnt use it, it brought bad memories, or rather the lack of them was what made her feel insecure. Clarke hated that feeling. But she packed it anyway. The girl didnt know why, but she felt the need to take it with her and an inexplicable certainty that she would use it eventually. It was a feeling that lingered in her heart even when she tried to sell it a few years back.

* * *

The afternoon clung to the last rays of sunlight when Clarke decided to stop her march. The sun hidding behind the treetops as the night was trying to take its place. She had taken the opposite direction to that she followed that morning while in search of her next prey, there Greiss forest was thicker and darker there.

Although she wasn't hungry, some berries harvested in the way constitued her dinner. She was a huntress, but not a completly carnivorous person.  
Taking the time to make a good fire that would keep away the vermin and other oddities of the place, she prepared or rest.

When the sky was filled with stars, Clarke leaned back. She would resume her way into the early hours of the morning so it would be good to rest.

After a short time Clarke woke up with a start. The reason was the rustle of dry leaves. But the fire pushed the shadows and made them denser around the flames, she couldn'tsee anything but heard a noise and sensed movement. They were many.

"Stay quiet girl" a man's voice was heard from the blackness of the night and was gradually revealing his frame in the firelight. "Do not try anything stupid, we will just take your stuff and... well, we'll have fun with you for a while"

Clarke smiled, innocently, her muscles leing in anticipation.

Ten other men emerged into the clearing where the young woman had lit the fire. _Bandits, surely,_ Clarke speculated as she slowly approached her sword, she definitely didnt expectuse it so soon, but the situation did not warrant the bow and arrows.

"If I let you take my things, you promise you won't hurt me?"

She loved to play the damsel in distress, mooe suspected of a pettit girl with her angelic ace, nobody would believe she was a bounty hunter.

"You will still be alive when we leave, if that's what you mean" the thie said.

"That's not enough" Clarke whispered aand quickly drew her sword.

The girl was far too quick for eleven large and heavy men. At first they laughed at her, but then they began to fall.

Clarke was directly against the man who had spoken to her first. She assumed he was their boss so she got rid of him first, the others won't know what to do. Her movements were so fast that the bandit had no time to react, until he was pierced from side to side with a sword. The rest of the men, between surprised and angry, rushed together against Clarke.

The first man to luach a fist blow suffered a painful cut on his right arm, which left him out of action. Clarke turned and the thief approaching from her right, he only had time to see the fire reflected in the blade of the sword, then a large wound furrowed his abdomen. Clarke landed a few punches to two men who had been astonished by the rudeness of that tiny girl, taking them out of the way. The rest was easy, they fled.

Before she realides, there was no more thieves around, leaving only the sound of the groaning wounded man, escaping into the thikness of the forest, the night had regained its calm.

But they had managed to hurt her. In the tumult of hits, one of them had managed to make him feel the rigor of his knife. She was bleeding. The blade had snuck between the lower ribs of the girl, next to her left arm.

"Dammitl!" Clarke cursed "I am not going to be killed by insignificant vandals!"

The truth was that while Clarke was a good warrior, her main strategy was to hunt their prey by stealth and patience. She wasn't some lunatic who closed her eyes and faced anyone without considering the consequences, she preferred not to be hurt unnecessarily. The fact that Freyr had struggled to keep her alive all those years mattered to her. She should at least try to protect the life he saved years ago.

She tried to stop the blood with a rustic bandage and sat back again, the thieves wouldn't dare to return so she would have a few hours to recover. Besides, she healed very fast and was not afraid of pain.

The fatigue from the fight closed her eyes and a deep sleep overpowered her.


	2. The Blacksmith

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: Second chapter, the same disclaimer as the first, The 100 characters are not mine, I dropped them in a medieval world and they're already wreaking havoc.

Chapter 2 - The Blacksmith

The crackling of the fire was the first sound that reached her ears that morning. In the distance the sound of iron being hit could be heard. The sound, like a cadence, surrounded her in a deep drowsiness and she almost doesn't realize that she was was covered by a thick, heavy blanket that left her with little freedom of movement.

Clarke slowly opened her eyes and found hermself in the warmth of a small hut. The smell of homemade bread in the oven made her nose tickle. In the distance, the noise had stopped. Carefully she tried to sit up, she knew the Greiss forest was inhabited mostly by good people and sensed there was no danger for her in that place. She leaned on her elbows to get up but a sudden sharp pain in her right side prevented her from continuing. She gasped in pain and closed her eyes.

"You shouldn't try to get up, you're still very weak" a serious, deep voice was heard from the door frame.

Clarke obeyed. She didn't know this man but something in his voice inspired her trust.

"Who are you? Why did you help me?"

"I've never abandoned anyone who needed my help" said the man as he entered the house and deposited a huge pile of firewood next to the furnace. "Besides, I thought you did a very brave deed back there, when you faced those thieves".

"I didn't have too many options" Clarke, who was not used to receiving compliments, assured. "What is your name?"

"You don't need to know"

"I want to know who to thank"

"Do not thank me yet. I was able to stop the bleeding but I'll have to burn wound if you really want to heal completly"

Clarke saw him approach the fire and drew a red hot iron. When the man turned around, his blue eyes amazed her. She had never seen anyone with such a penetrating and expressive eyes like those, but at the same time reassuring, almost paternal. Although Clarke didn't remember what it was like to have a father, she had experienced something similar with Freyr, that feeling of safety in the presence of another person.

After discovering the middle of her body under the blanket, she lifted the robe wrapped around her torso. She was exposed and almost naked in front of a total stranger.

Seeing the willingness and confidence the girl was showing, the man returned the trust by giving her his name.

"My name is Nyko, I'm a blacksmith" he said as he approached with hot iron "This is going to hurt a lot but you will heal once and for all"

"I'm not afraid of pain... Nyko" Clarke declared, but looking away quickly.

Nyko smiled. She was a tough girl, but he suspected she was more afraid of looking weak than the incandescent iron.

"Well... here it goes"

The severe pain in her side was nothing compared to the smell of her own flesh being burned by a hot metal. She felt sick, but said nothing.

"That's all" Nyko whispered in her ear "you can open your eyes. You're very strong, you know?"

"I know" she said, quickly covering herself. "I've always been"

"And quite proud, it seems" Nyko added with a big smile "May I know your name, miss?"

"My... my name is Clarke" the girl replied as she slowly incorporated, sitting, but still clinging to the warm blanket.

Nyko watched her for a few seconds before returning the iron to the fire. A row of newly forged swords were displayed next to it.

"A pleasure to meet you, Clarke" he said as he sat beside her on the small bed "Now tell me. What are you doing alone in this vast forest? Everyone knows that after winter many bandits often roam around here"

"That is not of your concern" the young girl answered, looking around the hut "Where are my things? I must continue my journey"

"It's good manners to be friendly with whoever helps you in difficult times" Nyko said "Your bag is right there" he pointed at a corner. He got up and went to the furnace that gave off a delicious aroma "I think after lunch you'll feel ready to tell me something more"

Clarke said nothing. That man kidness had silenced her. Normally, she would have made some scathing commenty and would have gone away from that hut without a second thought, but she felt very comfortable there.

For several minutes, while Nyko made preparations for lunch, she looked around and noticed every corner of the hut.

It was a very small and humble cabin that was far from the noble air of its owner, who had a stiff and proud gait. He was a man of great size for such a small home. It wasn't big, everything in it was visible from the front door. There was a lot of tools scattered on the floor and parts of armor resting on piles here and there. The bed where Clarke was lying was in the far corner by the kitchen, alongside a rickety table where Nyko was preparing lunch, and beyond, almost hidden and different to all the others, lay a shining armor, forgotten. The front of the armor was beautifully carved with golden patterns, but what stood out were two lions facing eachother with a symbol in the middle.

"Just an old gadget" Nyko said, following Clarke gaze.

Surprised, she deliberately looked away.

"I'm sorry," she apologized, feeling like she was invading Nyko's privacy "It caught my attention, it is very beautiful. Did you forged it?" the questions assaulted her thoughts and she couldn't stop the question before it escaped from her lips.

"Aren't those lions and symbol in the banner of Vanaheim Kingdom?

"Yes" Nyko said quietly as he placed a loaf of bread that he had just removed from the oven. "To both questions"

"That means..." Clarke began.

"That means I'm a knight... a retired one" he said smiling holding out his hand "Come on, little one, you have to eat something"

She reached out and Nyko helped her up and took her to the table. There was something else he wasn't telling her.

The meal procedded in silence. Clarke kept her eyes on her plate while Nyko scrutinized her intensely, his blue eyes trying to read her.

When they finished eating, Nyko tried to resume the conversation.

"You look much better now that you've eaten"

She looked up and found those inquisitors eyes watching her kindly.

She held his gaze.

"Why are you looking at me like that?"

"Can't I? You're a very beautiful girl and..."

"Don't" Clarke cut, frowning "You don't to be condescending with me. As soon as I recover my strength I will leave this place" She got up and went to her bag "I don't have many coins to pay for your inconvenience but..." she took the sword with which she had defeated the robbers and gave it to him "I think this will do"

Nyko expression changed almost immediately. His eyes, previously friendly and full of goodness suddenly darkened. His somber gaze shifted quickly from the sword to Clarke.

"Where did you get that sword?" he asked sullenly.

"Doesn't matter" she replied, surprised by the change of attitude of the knight "If you sell it, you can get a good amount of gold"

Nyko sat up and took the sword. He examined it carefully and then returned it to her.

"Keep it. If I helped you, it wasn't to get something in return"

"As you wish" said Clarke, who sheathed her sword as Nyko went to the oven and put in a couple of branches to fuel it.

They spent a long time in silence.

Later that day, when Clarke was beginning to collect her things, ready to leave, Nyko spoke again.

"Could you tell me what were you doing in the woods?"

Clarke turned around and found him watching her again.

"I'm going to Vali" the young woman couldn't help but tell the truth at such a questioning look.

"It's a very dangerous place for a little girl"

"I'm not a little girl!" She said trying to stay calm "I'm a bounty hunter. I'm going to get the queen"

"Alone?" Nyko asked quietly.

"I can do it alone" Clarke said. She gathered her belongings and headed for the door. She felt some discomfort in the wound after she took several steps away from the cabin that made her stop and change the weight of her luggage to her other shoulder.

When she was about to resume her way, she heard him calling.

Clarke turned and saw him approach.

"Let me go with you" he simply said.

"I do these things alone" the girl replied and turned to continue, but she felt a heavy, warm hand stopping her again.

"Take it as payment for my help" Nyko said "I'll help you with the queens rescue and you take this rusty knight out of retirement"

Clarke thought for a moment. It won't hurt some help and deep down in her heart, she felt a desire to help this man.

"All right" she said "But you'll be under my command"

Nyko grinned. A girl with a temper bigger than her body, he thought scratching his dark long beard.

"Thank you, Miss" he said with a huge and pompous reverence "Let me go get my things and we'll continue oyur journey"

It didn't take him long to put together some things for the trip, after all, he didn' possessed much. He put out the fire and the smoke stopped its ascend through the chimney of the hut, and all of his weapons and armors were safely stored.

Thus, sheathed in its sleek bright armor and covered with a huge cape, the knight joined the adventure.

They knew the wouldn't be able to travel long distances, but the journey seemed very long anyway.

Clarke, who had been accustomed to doing things without company found herself adopteing a retired knight of the realm of Vanaheim. She curled his mouth into a grimace, wanting to hide a smile, the irony of the situation was sparkling her humor.

Nyko had seemed like a nice man since the beggining but since made their way he hadn't uttered a word. Occasionally, Clarke, had caught him staring at her, as if he wanted to know something about her but didn't dare to ask.

The night hung over them when they reached the bottom of the Breksa mountain range, last hurdle before reaching the village of Gorban, from where they would sail. They would have to skirt it by the side of the coast to arrive to it, but it would have to be done the next day.

"I'll find some firewood" Nyko said as he looked hopelessly to the south.

"You miss Vanaheim?" asked Clarke, who never stood out for recognizing the feelings in other people. "It's in that direction, right?"

Nyko smiled.

"There are some things you yearn over time" he said dreamy "What would you do?"

"I'll hunt something to eat" she answered, standing up with the bow and arrow in hands.

"Should I do that?" he asked, wielding his long and heavy sword ostentatiously in front of him.

"I can do it" the girl grumbled "Besides, you offered to make fire. You can cook what I bring if you want" and she added in a tone of indifference "I've never been a good cook"

It wasn't long before she returned with a couple of hares on her shoulders.

"Effective huntress, I see" the knight admitted, amused "And the big man in shining armor and powerful sword, waiting to cook".

The whole concept seemed funny and good humor infected the girl who dumped her booty by the fire.

"You're a strange man, did you know?" she said as she looked into her small leather bag "Anyone else would have been bothered by the same situation"

"You have known no good men, then" Nyko said watching her curiously.

"The truth is, I haven't" she replied absently as she returned to stand up again.

"What are you doing?... if I may know" he clarify after receiving hard look from the young woman.

"I saw a stream down that path. If you do not mind, sir retired knight I will get a well deserved bath"

Nyko smiled again as she walked away. That girl had marveled him in more than one way from the moment he saw her fight with thieves, or when he looked into her eyes for the first time, those eyes that didn't express at all the sullenness of her face. It was unexplainable what he felt when he saw her walking away from his home, the urgent need to go with her, to protect her. And it seemed that his presence eased down her defenses too. She didn't smile often but her face lit up when she did.

He also had to figure out how she got that sword.

There were many reasons, many of which he couldn't explain, that linked his future to hers.

After a while, Nyko heard the sound of steps from the stream that Clarke had went was, but as a precaution he put his hand on the sword he kept always at his side.

"I come in peace" Clarke voice could be heard approaching the firelight "But it is good to be cautious"

The girl's face had regained the stern look from the beginning. Nyko sensed it but didn't care, he had set himself to keep her smiling for the rest of the trip, tho it would be short one. When he found out who she was , he would make her hand the sword back to the kindom of Vanaheim. He was sure that the king was already commissioning a rescue party to get the queen back, it wasn't of his concern.

"Dinner is ready, my dear lady" he said with a deep bow pointed to widespread hares over the fire. "And I have assemble the beds" he pointed to a pile of blankets neatly accommodated by the fire, crackling cheerfully.

"You didn't need to do that" Clarke said simply, 'I can take care of this things".

"I know, I know. I just wanted to be polite" he said passing a small pewter plate with food.

"Thanks you" said the girl, after a few moments.

"Ah, I see you haven't forgotten your manners" observed the knight, who had already been stripped of his armor.

Clarke didn't respond.

"Tell me something about yourself" Nyko insisted.

She looked into his blue eyes that were as clear as the sky on a sunny day.

She never had anyone to tell her story, not because she didn't wanted to, but because no one had ever asked. She was like a ghost, after all, appearing when there was a reward and disappearing for long periods in the forest. In the village it was said that her very existence was a myth.

"What do you need to know?" she asked. The words came out of her mouth without her consent.

"Where are you from?"

"I don't know" she answered, shrugging.

"That didn't started well" Nyko remarked laconically.

"Look," the girl began staring into the flames "Ther isn't much to know about me. I don't remember anything from when I was little. I think I had a concussion or something. I don't know who my parents are, they just abandon me. I was found by an old man who happened by chance to walk near where I was. As he saw that I was alone, he took me with him. He died five years ago"

She paused for a few heartneats, then continued, as if she saved the words in her chest take a long time.

"From that moment I survive hunting thieves and murderers whose heads worth some gold. My life is boring and lonely. And I like that" she ended her little speech without giving rise to more questions. She had said it all fast, with eyes still on the fire burning in front of them, as if remembering what she was saying or trying to remember that part of her life that was a white canvas.

Nyko didn't ask anything more, it was clear that the girl's life had been hard and the memories hurt enough to shut them up and hide deep inside her being. But there was something in all this that didn't quite convince him. He felt a special empathy for the girl and the untamed doubt if this young woman was who he thought. But it couldn't be. Although they would have more or less the same age, the girl to whom he was referring to had died many years ago. There was no way she could've survived.

He tried to push away all hope of his thoughts and went back to watching Clarke.

The more he thought about it, the less she looked like a thief, but still it intrigued him as to why that special sword was in her possession.

Clarke lay back on the blankets he had accommodated for her and closed her eyes, her right arm rested on her bow and arrows.

Nyko imitated her but didn't close his eyes, he had many thoughts running free through his mind. When he managed to sleep, nightmares that haunted him ever since that night, attacked him again.

It was early the next day, when the sounds of a forest full of life awakened Clarke.

She sat up and peered around, Nyko wasn't there. Her things were packed and the fire ashes were cold, but there was no sign of the man.

She arranged her things inside her leather bag she was carrying and took Nyko luggage too. Then calmly went to the stream she had visited the night before.

"I think this is the first time I have a knight in front of me so helpless, without the need to wield my sword" Clarke said, sitting on a huge rock that was on the bank of the stream. "Nyko turned around fast, surprised"

"That's not fair" he protested, feigning anger "I wasn't spying you last night"

"Not my fault the thought didn't croos your mind" said the girl, having some fun at the knoght expenses. "Anyway, I brought your stuff, so we set off without delay... as soon as you finish"

"Thank you very much, milady. But, if you don't mind... I value my privacy"

Clarke smiled, he was having fun too.

"I can not believe that a noble and educated knight can succumb to such a mundane feeling as shame" said the young woman with great solemnity.

"Oh, but I do" he accepted visibly embarrassed "I'm not used to having a little girl near... when I'm not decent"

"I am not a little girl" reproached Clarke, still smiling "All right, I'll go. But I assure you, you have nothing that may scare me" and with that, she descended swiftly from the rock, deposited his bag in the bank and with one last giggle she said:

"I'll wait in the camp. Hurry up, okay?"

"Yes, yes" he said while trying to reach for his clothes without exposing too much of his very naked butt.

They spent much of that morning bordering Breksa mountains, they had decided to go along the Great Ocean rather than cross them directly, the route, altought safer, it could take them twice as long.

To be polite, Nyko had offered to carry Clarke's luggage but it was flatly refused.

"The fact that I'm a women doesn't make me weaker than you" she said with a crabby tone.

He didn't insisted.

The spring sun rose over their heads when they decided to stop for lunch. They found a log lying on the sand and there sat their temporary camp.

"Let me worry about the food this time" he told Clarke as the girl was sitting in the log.

"All right" she said, not upset at all "It wasn't like I was going to do the job every day"

He ignored her comments with a smile and began to take away his armor. It seemed an almost ceremonial process. The knight took off each of the parts of the heavy silver armor carefully and let it gently on the sand. The respect the knight still held for these garments, and all that they meant, was obvious. Then he headed out to sea with something like a short spear.

She watched him carefully. The knight figure loomed in the distance, with his weapon over his shoulder and waist-deep in the water. His pose of grandeur was spotted as an almost motionless shadow under the powerful rays of the sun that bathed the coast and turned to salt water of the Great Sea, at that time in full calm, in a moving mirror, as if moved by the will of the gods of the depths.

She was absorbed in the landscape. I was a long time since she visited the sea. She remembered the last time Freyr brought her, before he became ill. It had been one of the happiest days of her life, no worries, everything was peaceful. She enjoyed the company of her old friend, almost as much as she did with Nyko. Although she didn't want to become too attached to him, all whom she loved had been taken away from her by fate and she didn't want to suffer anymore. At her young age, her heart carryied more weight than any other person, and she was sure that constant tightness in her chest would kill her if she didin't control it.

Clarke was so lost in her thoughts that she didn't notice when Nyko left two huge fish next to a pile of logs, on the beach. The man didn't say anything, didn't want to bother her, but a burst of curiosity invaded him, wondering what was she thinking.

Without making too much noise he lit the fire and began to cook the fish, with some mushrooms he'd picked up along the way, in the pewter pan kept with his belongings.

"Why are you alone? Don't you have any family?" she asked suddenly. Nyko quickly looked up in startled.

"You don't talk much, but when you do..." he murmured.

"You don't have to answer if you don't want to" the girl said and looked away towards the sea "Only I thought... well, you look like a good man, a family man"

"Why do you ask? Would you like to marry me?" he asked, amused.

Clarke smiled, but her eyes were still in the horizon. A light breeze rose toward the coast and brought with it the smell of salt and seaweed.

"No, I have no wedding plans" she pointed, the girl sighed deeply and slowly, with closed eyes, as if to cherish the landscape in her memory forever.

"The male population of the entire kingdom mourns that decision" remarked Nyko.

"I'm sure they can handle it" she said nonchalantly.

"But t's true, I already told you you're a very beautiful" he affirmed, trying not to make the mistake of calling her little girl again. "You could have very cute children"

"Children?" the comment caught her attention, 'till then lost in her daydreams.

"I am a warrior!" she exclaimed proudly "I was not born to solely to have children. The fact that I am a woman doesn't make me an instrument of procreation only because men wish so"

"All right, all right" Nyko said, recognizing when he was wrong and worried about having lit the girls temper, and who was now watching him through the fire flames with a very intimidating glare. "I didn't meant to unsult you or your worrior skills. Forget I said that. I was worng".

"I will" Clarke said coldly.

After a few moments of silence, when both were having lunch, Nyko, decided to break the monotony of the day with a confession.

"My responsabilities doesn'tt allow me to have a wife" he said tersely, his gaze lost in the vastness of the sea on his left that seemed to capture the attention of both.

"Your responsabilities? The king don't let his knights to form a family?" Clarke asked.

"Let's just say that my job required almost complete dedication on my part, I had no time to find a wife. And then..."

"Then..." Clarke encouraged him to continue talking, she wanted to know more about him.

"Then King relieved me of the post and banished me. I can't return to the castle anymore"

"But, why?"

"The people who were under my care suffered much damage" he said. His voice muffled and his unfocused eyes began to moisten.

He blinked to shake off the bad memories and then grinned at the girl in front of him.

"What do you think the fish?" he said, changing the subjetc. "It's a recipe from my mother"

Clarke's mind was alive with curiosity but she didn't inquire further.

"It's very good" she said.

In the afternoon they began walking again, they had left much of the travel though the beach to go yet. They walked in silence, enjoying the view. The sea, which undermined the beach with every wave, darkened as the sun was setting behind the mountains rising in the distance. Its highest peaks were hidden in banks of clouds that surrounded them. To their right, huge rocks and high cliffs towering them, they stood for a moment looking in the shadows that danced in his depressions and caves.

"We should spend the night here, don't you think?" Nyko told Clarke as they carefully scrutinized the sea.

"You're right. But we must find a cave as high as possible, the tide will rise tonight"

At the end of a curve on the beach they found a shallow cave on a ledge, they left their bags there and prepared to rest, that place was safe from the sea. The walk along the sand seemed to have exhausted and soon they were ready to sleep.

The sunset gave way to a cluster of stars that covered the sky, the moon was shining brightly and the coast was bathed with its light. They were lying by the fire when a series of screams startled.

They looked through the entrance of the cave and looked over the beach, the moonlight allowed them to have a great view of what was happening. A group of people were spotted in the distance. The cry of a woman was heard again.

Instinctively, Nyko, took his sword and rushed over the rocks in a frantic descent. He sprinted through the strip of sand left by the tide. The scene cleared before his eyes as he approached.

Four men in leather armor rammed around a woman at the end of the beach.

They displayed their swords over the woman, threatening her and laughing hysterically.

"You'll see, witch, you will pay for what you did" one of them shouted and lunged at the female figure.

Nyko was about to scream "Stop!" at the top pf his lungs but what he saw then removed the words from his throat.

"I told you not to bother me" said the woman as she shakily rose amid the laughter of those men "Now you'll suffer the consequences"

Before being hit by the first aggressor, she clasped her hands in front of chest. An orb of blue light was formed in between her hands.

"¡KRIAS BREN!" she shouted, and the ball of light crashed into the man's chest and he fell like a rock, inert.

The other three soldiers rushed to attack her, whatever has that been, she couldn't fight against three man at the same time, Nyko thought and intervened in the fight attacking the man who was closest.

His principles did not allow him to kill him a man from the back, so he just hit his legs, the man lost his balance and fell heavily. When the other two noticed the presence of Nyko, they turned their attention from the strange woman and pounced on him. He dodged the sword of one of them barely, used the power of his hit against him and after a deft flick of his sword, the man lay on the sand, which was beginning to stain with the blood shed. The assailant was surprised at the lost of his companion and lay there, motionless, paving the way for the knight who without much effort hit him hard on the head with the hilt of his sword. The body fell to his knees first, refusing to definitively collapse, but the blow was too much for him and succumbed awkwardly on the sand.

Nyko was about to ask the woman who she was when a howl of rage was heard behind him. The first man he had attacked, the one he could kill, got up with his sword in the air and quickly swung in his direction.

Before the sword could complete its journey, a shrill whistle sailed through the air and an arrow embedded itself in the back of the attacker. The sword lost his grip on the rough hand that held it and stuck with a thud in the sand. Then the man slumped beside it.

Nyko looked up. At a considerable distance, on rocks, Clarke was still holding her bow in the direction of the victim who had just collect. Her rigid arms began to fall slowly.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: I hope you liked it, the story will take a while to take shape, be patient.
> 
> A/N 2: This story was originally written in spanish, but because of my linguistic limitations it will take some time to translate. If someone want to help me, it will be appreciated. :D


	3. Mystery in the Castle

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: New chapter, the same disclaimer as the first, The 100 characters are not mine, but I'm pretty sure I can do a better job than... some people.
> 
> #Lexadeservedbetter

Chapter 3 - Mystery in the Castle

The king paced back and forth, Eylack was late. The king had removed the crown off his head and it now rested, forgotten, on the throne that used to belong to Algira.

The royal throne chamber was in darkness. Where once glittered decorations and shields with countless armors guarded every corner in Vanaheim Castle, like eternal knights, now only shadows danced between undaunted columns. The flames of the torches that adorn the walls of the spacious main hall favored the gloomy atmosphere that Alaric had striven to maintain. High windows were blinded by heavy curtains of fabric dark as night. The King steps were audible through the echoes that roamed the castle from start to finish.

The whole kingdom mourned the absence of its beloved queen. In every corner, in every home and every square shouts of revenge, uttered by grieving villagers, against who had dared to take their queen could be heard.

But the King Alaric could not worry about such trifles.

When he was about to lose patience, the heavy double doors of the main hall opened. A stooped man entered slowly. His dark robes hid huge and shiny black stains, his slow gait made the king nervous.

"Do you have news?" Alaric asked urgently, as he approached with caution the newcomer.

"According to my informants, the queen is in perfect condition," he said, a doughy voice slurred the syllables jauntily. The situation of the kingdom did not seem to bother him at all.

"Well ... well" Alaric said, rubbing his hands nervously "My knights are about to leave, they'll bring her safely. No one will suspect anything".

"You should not be nervous, my dear King" Eylack advised, his eyes were hidden under the shadow of the hood of his cloak "Crowner won't hurt the queen if you keep your word."

"I will fulfill my promise" Alaric replied angrily "If he does what we agreeded"

The king continued to pace the room, walked in front of the throne occupied until recently with his wife, visibly concerned about the circumstances.

"I'll give him the northland" he continued when returning to sit on his royal chair "It's a pretty useless land. The people who live there are savages."

Eylack was silent as the king spoke, watching every detail of the ruler of Vanaheim. The greed and cruelty of this man were surpassed only by his stupidity. He smiled a sly smile that Alaric didn't notice.

"My lord," Eylack began after a few moments "Is the plan being implemented according to the instructions?"

"Don't worry, its on her way" the king replied without looking up. His sight was lost in an ancient armor stationed along the spacious lounge. "How did you know she was alive?" He asked suddenly.

"You know my abilities, sir. My powers go beyond what can be imagined" Eylack turned and walked his way to the door. "You are lucky to know me."

"I know," Alaric murmured unconvinced, as he watched the old sorcerer of the cohort reached the front door, "Wait"

Eylack stopped walking but didn't turn.

"Send a messenger to Duatros. Remind Crowner that I want her dead, once and for all"

The hooded man nodded in the distance and left the royal hall.

Firelight cut silhouettes of three people against the walls of the cave. Clarke looked closely at the figure of the woman in front of her. It didn't look like anyone she have ever met before.

She wore a blue veiled robe, so long that it reached the floor. It had long and wide sleeves that were opened reaching the hands, huge pieces of cloth hanged from her arms. The robe was completely carved in very fine gold swirls and other patterns even more more eerie. It didn't look like any language that Clarke knew, certainly they weren't just ornaments, but Clarke still believed to have seen them somewhere else. The woman was not taller than her, but older. At least ten years older. Her hair was messy and unkempt, full of leaves and twigs that obviously she had not bothered to remove. Golden curls framed a thin face, long eyelashes, small nose and very thin lips, adorned with green eyes that seemed almost transparent.

She had n't spoken a word since Nyko offered her food and shelter for the night in the cave where they were garrisoning 'till dawn. In fact, all they had heard her say were those words, before the blue light ball hit the man who attacked her in the chest.

Nyko quietly watched the fire, the woman deposited the pewter dish on the floor. The fish that the knight had offered her in the form of dinner had disappeared quickly.

"Now you've eaten" Clarke asked intrigued "Can you tell us who you are?"

She tried to be as friendly as possible, but it just didn't work. Nyko scolded her with his gaze. She tried to excuse herself with an awkward shrug, it was a long time since she felt reprimanded like a little child.

"My name is Desnia" she replied calmly, looking at the girl in front of her "From the village of Gyfu."

"That explains a lot," Nyko intervened. Seeing Clarke interrogating him silently, he continued, "It is said that in Gyfu, people practice magic since childhood. They are known for their powers"

Desnia nodded.

"Magic?" Clarke asked. "So... what you did a while ago on the beach was..."

"Yes, magic" Desnia replied.

Silence reigned in the cave. The woman Clarke watched intently.

She didn't believe in magic but couldn't deny what she had seen.

"You don't believe me, right?" the woman asked in a ethereal voice, her face expressionless.

Clarke took a moment to answer. She tryed to read into Desnia's eyes, trying to guess what she was thinking. It was useless.

"It's the first time I see someone doing magic," the girl replied with complete sincerity "Before tonight I would have said no."

"That's very odd," Desnia acknowledged, frowning.

Clarke's curiosity could be seen in her eyes, but she contained the question on her lips.

"Don't you know?" Desnia said in amazement, "You have great powers, I can see it"

"Me?" Clarke asked laughing "I think you're wrong. I have never done anything even remotely magical in my life"

"Everyone has magic within themselves, some more than others" the woman said as she leaned against the wall of the cave "But they're just afraid of it"

Nyko listened to the conversation between the two women, thoughtful.

"If we all had magic, why people are not flying and throwing balls of light everywhere?" Clarke asked incredulously.

"For the same reason you ask me this question" Desnia paused "Because they don't believe. The magic comes with great responsibilities, it is easier not to know anything about it.

Stillness again covered them. The sorceress words had some hint of truth, Clarke thought. But still, she refused to believe that she could throw blue orbs with her hands and leave a man lying on the beach. She preferred her bow and arrows.

"The magic is everywhere," Desnia continued. Her eyes were closed. Slowly, she put the palms of both hands on the rocky floor of the cave "We are all connected to it. It is energy that comes from everything around us, ourselves. We just have to learn to channel it... to direct it at will."

As she spoke, from beneath her hands, small twigs with buds emerged and opened at high speed, forming leaves of all sizes. The plant grew in such a way that surrounded her completely, but it didn't stop there. When it had formed a large cushion of vegetation under the sorceress, bush spread toward Clarke, slowly.

It moved around the fire as if it knew it was there. The vegetation climbed the rock where the young woman was sitting and abruptly stopped its growth.

Moments later, white blossoms opened and revealed some beautiful flowers that adorned the plant in its entirety. Desnia finally opened her eyes.

"If your energy is devoted to good, then nothing bad will come out of your magic."

Nyko and Clarke looked surprised at the strange plant that had come from nowhere.

"I will rest here tonight," she said and lay down on the green mattress that she had created.

Moments later, the others followed suit. Somehow, that night Desnia brought peace to the dream of both.

When the sun reached into the cave with its rays, Clarke and Nyko were already arranging their luggage to march on. They knew to resume the trip as soon as possible and decided to seize every moment of light they had.

Desnia had awakened with them but, in the absence of luggage and withpou uttering a word came, got out of the cave was and, sitting in the beach, lost her eyes on the horizon.

"What shall we do with her?" Clarke asked.

"I don't know," the blacksmith replied. He had all his baggage on his shoulder and his armor on. He was looking towards Desnia from the opening of the cave. The sun reflected in the shining armor and made it look stunning. "I think we should ask her if she wants to join us on the way to Gorban."

Clarke joined him at the entrance of the cave and looked down as well. Desnia looked very frail from afar.

"Alright," the girl said, "If it is there where she's going, she can accompany us."

Clarke descended from the cave and went to meet with Desnia.

Nyko watched her silently, the girl had rearmed her usual dour face and walked upright and proud, it told Nyko there was something in their new companion that didn't inspire her confidence. The girl had been alone so long that any new person in her life was taken as a strange and dangerous beings. He felt sorry for her.

He mimicked Clarke steps, thinking he shouldn't become attached to both women, after all, he would deliver her to the king of Vanaheim for her crime in taking the sword. Gἑrỡs didn't belong to her.

Algira was taken, bound, into one of the rooms of the castle. As she had heard, Crowner wanted closer to him.

In the early hours of that morning, the woman knew later, two men entered the dungeon where they kept her captive and was suddenly brought upstairs.

Algira felt weak, the darkness of the place where she had been locked weakened her significantly, her whole body hurted, and when the guards wanted to get her up, she could barely stand. She climbed the ladder crudely carved in stone held by one of the men. They were very big soldiers, so the weight of the weakened queen did not mean them too much effort.

The guards wore heavy robes with ornaments red as blood. The queen was held by the arms on both sides and squeezed tightly with rustic hands.

She didn't know exactly where they were going, for four days she was locked underground, but just seeing the sun through the huge windows of the castle uplift the queen's spirit. The castle was not very bright itself, the sun reaching through the slip of the curtains where light barriers formed in the deserted corridors.

"Where are you taking me?" Algira asked, her voice cracking. Her long blond hair fell heavily on her shoulders. The white dress she wore was threadbare at its lower edge and had blood stains and dirt. While the blood didn't belong to the queen, she was afraid it was from her courtesans, who had perished risking their lives so that she could escape. She closed her eyes, those women vain sacrifice filled her with sadness.

"The king told us to relocate you" one of them blurted. The guards faces were covered with thick black beards. No sign of humanity can be distinguish in them.

Thus, Crowner's men, had dragged her through the castle. They wandered through countless stairs and long halls until they reached a large, dark chamber. The windows were covered with black cloth, the only thing that allowed them to glimpse the path that transited, though outside the sun shone brightly, were small torches displayed on either side of the doors.

One of the guards who held her, went to the far right door, he knocked and waited. A strange roar was heard from inside and the guard entered. There were four heavy double doors in this place, the first were open wide, of them out, occasionally, heavily armed guards and ferocious men who, by their ornate vestments, must have high ranks in the army Duatros, came out. The guard didn't take long to leave the room when he opened the door again and headed towards Algira, smoke and putrid smell of sulfur accompanied him to the vicinity of the queen.

"We'll take you to your new room. You'll stay there until the princess decides" he said sullenly. Both men retook her arms and took her to the room whose door stood down the hall.

One of them pushed Algira into the room and closed the door behind her, the queen was alone again.

But this confinement was different, she thought as she sat barely wobbled when trying to advance on her own. The room had two huge windows that went from ceiling to floor, they were uncovered so the sun shone freely and illuminated everything within reach. Large carpets covered the shiny wooden floor and antique tapestries hung from the walls. A four-poster bed was in the middle of the room, its cushions were embroidered in gold threads with fine and delicate patterns. A very beautiful blanket covering it. The room had a warm atmosphere that Algira found comforting.

She slowly walked to the bed and lay down gently, her body didn't recognize the soft surface immediately so she resented the movement with a wince. She closed her eyes for a moment, in that place was easy to pretend that nothing bad had happened. That Crowner, king of Duatros, hadn't kidnapped her, and she hadn't spent four days underground, chained to a rock wall.

But to pretend that nothing had happened would be deceiving herself in a way that was dangerous. Her future was uncertain and although she was sure her husband had to be stirring heaven and earth to find her, she couldn't depend on it. She didn't know how long it would take Alaric to rescue her and didn't trust the sudden change of treatment in her captors. She had to do something, her child's life depended on it.

She sat as fast as she could despite her aching body, sitting on the side of that imposing bed and began plotting an escape.

But something caught her attention. Next to the far window was a small round table, it was a platter full of fresh fruit. Algira recalled that in the past four days, all she had eaten was a loaf of bread and some water. She approached the table hesitantly. The fruits had bright and inviting colors, her stomach was a bubbling. she grabed an apple and took a bite. The juice od the fresh fruit slid down her throat like a blessing. Her strength seemed to return in part to her body.

Algira was eating her second apple when the door opened suddenly.

"I see you're already comfortable," said a grim-faced girl. She wore a coat of opaque colors that clung to her slender body and a black cloak that reached the floor with a red ribbon from shoulder to waist.

Algira withdrew from the table, walking back as the other woman advanced.

"Don't be afraid," she said as she stopped short at the movement of the Queen "I will not hurt you."

"You're the princess?" Algira asked carefully.

The princess nodded detaching her cloak, placing it in the back of a rustic chair that stood beside the table where Algira had taken apples from.

"My name is Lexa" she said quietly, Algira thought she was trying tone down her sullen tone without very good results. That girl had an almost innate rudeness with which she struggled visibly to communicate with the queen, trying not to frightening her.

"Why bring me here?" Algira asked guided mainly by her curiosity. She didn't feel so intimidated by Lexa as much as with Crowner, who apparently was her older brother.

"Do you prefer the dungeon?" Lexae asked staring at her. She had sat in the chair by the table and watched the queen from there.

"Of course not," the woman responded abruptly. Algira went to the bed and sat there. She didn't want to be near the young princess.

At that moment a knock on the door was heard and a guard in shining armor made its entrance.

"M'Lady..." the man began, but was interrupted by a grunt of Lexa.

"I said I do not want interruptions!" She shouted from her seat. The guard quickly excused himself and left the room.

"Sorry for the interruption," Lexa said. Algira didn't respond. "I'm glad that you have enjoyed the fruits and hope you feel comfortable here."

"I just want to go back to my kingdom" Algira said in a sob, her resistance was faltering. Fatigue and fear were too much for her. Lexa stood up and walked toward her, Algira trembled in her place. The princess sat beside the queen, staring at her.

"I'm sorry about your cohort" she began. Algira looked up.

Lexa appeared to be younger than her, just a youngster. Her face, tempered by the elements, was furrowed by small scars, new and old. It appeared to be a tough and strong warrior but as the queen could see, had very warm eyes. Unlike Crowner's blacks ones, Lexa had green eyes and a different glow. Although it was not like other princesses she knew.

"You..., you were one of them?" Algira asked hesitantly, remembering the horde of warriors that ambushed her cohortsalong the Thiótika river.

Lexa nodded again.

Algira bowed her head trying to hide the tears that struggled to surface again.

Lexa shifted uncomfortably in her seat at the sight of the struggling queen, but didn't speak.

In that moment, the room door opened again. Crowner, king of Duatros, entered with sure steps towards Algira. Lexa stood up immediately.

"You were here,"Crowner told his younger sister "I wondered why you had slipped away so fast today. I always thought you enjoyed our training sessions."

"You are the only one who can enjoy that barbarity" the princess replied with her eyes glued to the floor.

Crowner laughed loudly, he was amused by the weakness of his sister.

"Is it that you disagree with the plan we are carrying out?" He asked, his tone menacing frightened Algira, who still sat on the bed.

"Of course not," Lexa replied wearily, looking up to find his brothers eyes, challenging.

"Well," Crowner said, turning to Algira. "My dear sister has managed to bring me to accept this new placement for you. Do not make me regret it".

After these words, the king withdrew from the room.

"Hurry up," he snarled at Lexa as he left "I have to talk to the sorcerer."

The princess glanced briefly at Algira and followed.

"Thank you," the queen whispered as she left the room. Lexa didn't answer.

Nyko, Desnia and Clarke had reached the port village of Gorban. For hundreds of years, this village had been the door of the kingdom to the rest of the world. Its port, even bigger than the one in the city of Vanaheim, moor and saw thousands of ships sailing per day. The docks were crowded with boats of all sizes and drafts. Enormous galleons waiting for their crws to bord, small barges unloaded the fruit of the Great Sea achieved by its fishermen. Sails of all sizes were deployed in every corner. Most of the ships anchored in the port were intended to trade, so the Gorban market was one of the most nourished and populous in the region.

Both Nyko as Clarke transited the busy streets of the village in search of a tavern. They were looking for a place that would fill their stomachs decently, although Nyko was not a bad cook and Clarke could manage quite well, neither would refuse a well prepared meal. Desnia, meanwhile, casually followed, stumbling into several people who also circulated through the crowded street. But that was not the only reason Desnia attracted attention, her whole appearance was, in itself, very striking.

The three had reached a small square that was located in the farthest part of the village harbor. Everything there was less hectic and busy. There were some stalls where vendors were offering their wares, crafts and preparations.

"Let rest here," Nyko said pointing to a small inn almost hidden between a blacksmith and a peltry.

They sat down and remained silent for a long time. Desnia continued to watch every person that parade past the ossified table they occupied. Nyko enjoyed a very dark beer. Clarke was staring toward the sea that stretched away from the far away bay.

Gorban village was located between the side of the Breksa mountain range and the shores of the Great Sea. Most of the houses, those that were away from the harbor, the heart of the village, had been built on the slopes of the mountains. So from there, the whole city could be seen.

"We'll have to get some coins" Nyko said, pulling Clarke out of her reverie.

She turned and saw him counting small golden circles that had just extracted from a leather pouch. She, in turn, pulled from an inside pocket of her coat a similar bag, extracting from there about twenty coins embossed with the coat of Vanaheim, and handed them to the knight. Nyko looked surprised and then to the golden circles in his hand now. Rampant lions, symbol of the crown of Vanaheim, shone in the sunlight seeping through the houses.

"It's the only thing left from the last thief I caught" Clarke said before Nyko astonished eyes.

"I didn't think you possessed such skills, Miss" the man had resumed his talk with a grin.

"I already said I was bounty hunter" Clarke said trying to hide the smirk that produced the Knight commentary. "And a good one. Also, I thought that we can catch a thief in this city, so we would ensure the rewards offered for it".

"You're right" Nyko acknowledged. Thinking, with regret in his heart, that the young woman had included him in her plans, without knowing that he wanted to hand her over to the king. "But we must be cautious, sleeping on the outskirts of the city would be a reasonable option."

Clarke nodded, both leaving the sorceress out of the discussion, after all, they only had offered to take her to Gorban. And there they were.

"I want to accompany you" she suddenly said, her green eyes sparkled with uncommon intensity.

"Excuse me?" Clarke asked.

"I want to come with you" the woman repeated firmly "I heard what you commented when we got to the village. You are in search of the queen and I want to go with you."

"You have nothing to do there" Nyko informed harshly. "I don't think a fragile woman as yourself should be exposed to danger."

"I'm not fragile," she replied curtly "Besides, I don't care for the queen. Crowner is who I want."

The silence stretched between Nyko and Clarke, they exchanged glances.

"Alright," Nyko said, pulling back in his chair.

Clarke sent him a cold look of reproach for making tremendous addition to a group that, at this point, it was too large for her liking.

"But you must be under the orders of Miss here present," Nyko said as he felt the sharp look of the girl on his side.

Desnia looked at Clarke carefully, as if looking in it a sign that proclaimed her the leader of the party.

"Alright," she replied laconically and resumed her previous activity: observing everything around her.

They had lunch in the little inn, then continued touring the city. After wandering among stalls and merchants, they decided to set up their camp in a grove that was south of the city, it was said to be a quiet place but that some thugs roamed the area. It was good news for Clarke and Nyko, hoping to get some gold with the prey they might get there. They would be used themselves as bait, some fool would want to steal from them and that would be its end.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: Again, sorry for my english.


	4. Tiny problems

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: I do not own the characters from The 100 (otherwise Lexa would still be alive). Hope you like this chapter, and the new additions to our ladys quests.

Chapter 4 - Tiny problems

Desnia, leaning against a tree, carefully analyzed the young girl in front of her. She had delicate features but had manners that showed his physical strength, there was anger inside, and loneliness, many years of loneliness. Desnia understand why Clarke distrusted her. The origins of both women were different but their history was marked by abandonment and pain. But Desnia was looking for revenge, she wanted kill with her own hands the person who took everything she had, his family; she didn't know if Clarke pursued the same objective but its present course would help her to achieve her goal.

Desnia could never forget when Crowner and his terrible warriors invaded the small village of Gyfu, where she and her father lived. The wicked king of Duatros had killed one by one every wizards and sorcerers in the small town, until he got what he wanted. He said that everybody's fate was in his hands while his knights slaughtered the villagers. Desnia was saved because she was still too young to have considerable powers; according to Crowner himself, she wasn't worth wielding a sword. Having achieved his goal, Crowner and his warriors burned down the houses. A few elderly and children escaped into the forest surrounding the village, there they survived for several years. When elders finally perished, young sorcerers spread through the kingdom of Vanaheim seeking peace. Except Desnia, she will avenge the death of her people or perish in the attempt.

Not long ago she had met with the queen herself and had predicted a great future for her and her unborn son. She was hopeful that the heir would rule the kingdom with justice and kindness, like the previous kings. All except Alaric. The current king of Vanaheim was ruthless and greedy, the kingdom had fallen into disgrace since he was proclaimed.

Desnia thoughts were still roaming as the sky covered with stars, she rested on the trees that were chosen to spend the night. It wasn't a big leafy trees forest but offered excellent shelter. The city of Gorban was too busy and both Clarke and Nyko thought it was good idea to rest in the outside area. They had chosen that place on purpose, there was a gang of thieves who took refuge there and, as they heard in the village that night, some warrior of the crown would be looking for them too. They just expected the thieves to be foolish enough to try to steal from them, so they could claim the reward.

At the moment, there was peace around the small fire that Desnia had lit with only a stare at the pile of twigs Nyko had placed on the floor, and suddenly a flame began to dance on dry wood.

"I see that magic can become useful," Clarke said as she passed by. Desnia knew the curiosity in girl was getting hard to hide, but the young girl pride kept it at bay.

The night had become a dense blanket of darkness. Desnia was lying by the fire. Clarke and Nyko stood expectantly at any sign of movement.

"Are you sure they'll come?" Nyko whispered.

"They'll come," Clarke replied quietly.

It had not been long since Clarke's words had crisscrossed the silence when a nearby branches were shaken slightly. There was no wind that night, the rest of the trees stood motionless.

"Leave it to me," Clarke mused simulating stoke the fire.

Nyko nodded. In terms of hunting, the girl had more experience. He again heard a noise of moving foliage, this time to his right. It was just one, and very agile one, indeed.

Clarke took her sword, but did not draw it. She sat for a few seconds.

"I will go get some water" suddenly she said, loud enough to be heard by whoever was wandering around. She took one of the small vessels that Nyko carried and headed in the opposite direction from the noise. The girl went into the darkness and disappeared. Nyko sat, staring into the fire but his senses on high alert. Desnia remained recumbent, her eyes reflecteing the flames.

When the intruder was heard again was very close Nyko, behind him, he tensed his body but remained motionless.

Suddenly, a series of sudden and rapid movement gave way to a gasp. Then silence. Nyko took his sword and turned in the direction of tumult. Among struggles and cries, Clarke left the dense forest tightly holding a child struggling in vain to get loose. The girl had managed to tie his wrists and pushed him in the firelight. The child would have no more than seven or eight years. A thick shock of black hair covering his forehead, his dark skin glistened in the firelight as sweat fell in the efforts to break free.

"Sit down," Clarke said sternly. The boy obeyed, he could recognize when he had lost.

Nyko smiled at that.

"How did you know?" He asked the girl who took her place beside him.

"To be so agile he must be small" she explained briefly.

"And what's your name, boy?" Desnia asked from the other side of the fire.

The tiny boy didn't answer..

"Answer the lady" Nyko said but with a very warm tone in his voice.

The boy looked up from his place. He sat in front of a strange woman, beside him was the girl who just caught him and the other, a man who, at first glance, seemed very strong.

"Loki, ma'am," he answered loud and clear.

"What are you doing here?" Clarke asked. Her voice was warm and friendly, Nyko was surprised by the reaction of the girl, in the few days that he knew her, he had not seen that side of her

"I live here," he replied tersely and laid his eyes on the horizon.

Among the trees the Great Sea could be seen cut by the moonlight, which was obscured at times due to dense black clouds. Small winding ridges reflected the huge white disk and then turned to plunge into the depths of the waters. The sea was restless that night.

"And your family?" Nyko asked, but he already had a vague idea of what happened to them.

"I have no family," the child replied, burying his head in his crossed arms. "You will turn me over to the knights, right?

Nobody answered. All three had reasons, very personal, to not wanting to answer that question.

Clarke stared at him, not wanting to be responsible for the fate of the child. She looked up to find Nyko but noted that he was watching a not so distant point in the dense forest. She followed his gaze and was surprised to see a group of torches moving towards them.

Loki trembled in his place. He had also noticed the group of men heading there.

"The knights of the crown," he said in a barely audible whisper and his hand clung to Clarke sleeve.

"Who are you lot?" A man asked gruffly as the party reached the small camp.

"Just travelers, sir," Nyko replied quietly.

He hesitated at first but when he looked closer could not do more than accept what the man was saying. Besides, how many problems could cause a man, two women and a child?

That's when he paid attention to the smallest of the group.

"Are you looking for thieves who hide in the woods?" Clarke asked "Is it true that you're offering a reward for them?

Nyko peered at her impassive face, it didn't betray any thought.

"That's right" the knight replied, in whose shield was stamped the opposing lions and the symbol of the kingdom of Vanaheim.

"You," he said, addressing to Loki. "You're from around here, right?

Loki didn't answer.

"That's him, sir," said one of them men who stood behind the group. "He is also one of them".

The boy looked at the accusation, his face was covered by fear but bravely stood up and faced them.

"I will not let you take me so easily".

His feeble knees trembled when one of the mighty men went to meet him.

"Wait" Clarke had joined suddenly and interrupted the way of a man with her arm wrapped around the boy and pulled him towards her. "This scoundrel tried to steal from us a few moments ago, and he will pay for it".

The group of men broke into murmurs. The knight who appeared to be the highest rank, smiled at her condescendingly.

"My name is Faelan, I'm in charge of land of Gorban, in the name of justice for the kingdom and the crown. For months we were looking for a group of scoundrels who assault every traveler that pass through this forest, and it seems that our little friend here present, is a lively apprentice of them" he said, putting his hand on the tousled hair of the child "Alright, we'll let you take over the little one, the rest of the thieves are ours to bring to justice".

He turned and ordered one of his men to pay a small amount of gold as a reward for capturing the young thief.

The man then handed Clarke the shiny gold coins, bowed deeply, making his thick black hair fall over his forehead. Faelan gave a signal to his men and began their search again.

Around the fire, four people remained silent. Clarke had sat down after saving the coins in her small leather bag, put a small portion of the stew that Nyko had cooked for that night in one of the pots they used as plates and handed it to Loki. The boy took it cautiously.

"Eat, you need it," the girl said sweetly. Nyko as Desnia both were stunned by the behavior of the young woman, but both understood why she was reacting this way.

The boy ate in silence. Clarke watched him carefully, his thin little body hunched and formed a small ball by the fire as he quickly devoured the food.

He's alone, she thought bitterly. She felt an urgent need to protect him. She had been alone, when all she could remember was her name and a kind soul had saved her life.

"Why did you do that?" Loki asked incredulously "I thought you would hand me over"

Clarke didn't respond, her thoughts kept wandering in distant lands of intense cold and loneliness. Nyko took over explanations.

"Actually, you didn't steal from us but we still got the reward. So we don't need to accuse you." He said with a huge smile, "Besides, I think you're made of good wood, son. Someday you'll be a good man, and a very brave one as we have seen"

The boy smiled proudly. It was evident that Nyko commanded respect.

"You will come with us" Clarke stated suddenly, and then, with a much slower tone, continued, "If we leave you here, you'll return to steal. During our journey you will be safe, sheltered and fed. When this is all over, we'll see what we're doing with you".

Desnia smiled as she returned to lie in the cool grass of the forest. She has a good heart, she thought, I was not mistaken, she will be a great leader.

Nyko also smiled as he settled himself on the furs he used as blankets.

"I see that all is not lost," he said, to no one in particular, but the two women understood what he meant.

Carefully Clarke arrenged some furs beside the blankets she used to sleep and told Loki to also lie.

The little one took his place quietly and closed his eyes.

"Don't even think of escape" Clarke whispered in his ear "Because I will find you and catch you as easy as I did today."

The girl gave him a wide, sincere smile to the boy, who just nodded. However, Loki wasn escape.

Crowner and Lexa and headed to the War Chambers, in one of the castle towers. The wizard waited there.

Upon reaching the door, they saw the squalid and plunged figure in the shadows of Eylack, sorcerer and advisor of Duatros. Nobody knew that this man was serving Crowner, reason why the king decided to use him as a messenger.

"Go gather a group of warriors," Crowner said sullenly to Lexa who looked puzzled "Then come back here".

The girl couldn't do more than follow the orders of her brother, it seemed odd not to let her hear his conversation with Eylack. After all, she also had to suffer the consequences of it all.

Once the door closed behind her, Duatros princess walked to the darkest area of the castle dungeons, where they trained the best warriors in the service of the king.

"The princess does not participate in your plans?" Eylack asked woth a fak-seet voice, his eyes following Crowner who walked across the room and took his place at the robust table in center of the room.

"I don't trust her," Crowner growled once seated "It's better if she doesn't know anything. She just need to follow my orders".

The sorcerer nodded and remained in place. After a few seconds he spoke again.

"The King of Vanaheim will send a contingent of warriors out here, my lord, they will set sail in the morning. He wants to rescue the queen to avoid suspicion" Eylack paused trying to read the stony expression on Crowner's face. "He wants to give you the lands in the north as a payment for your troubles".

The king of Duatros, laughed so loud that filled the corners of the room with reverberating echoes, loaded with fury.

"That useless Alaric thinks I will finish what he couldn't sixteen years ago, and aims to pay me with filthy icy hills inhabited by barbarians.

Crowner laughed again, this time, a cold smile was imprinted on his face.

"This will cost him more than he ever imagined. He never should have trusted in me!"

"But we counted on that, sir" Eylack said. "With his desperation. Alaric will do anything to keep the crown on his head, including the exposure of his own wife and son to danger".

"That bastard didn't realize that he was delivering his kingdom in a tray for me to simply take it. You're right, we counted on that".

"Now, my lord," said the old man approaching Crowner "we will continue as planned?

Crowner noticed as Eylack dodged the only moonbeam slipping away in the room through the thick courtins.

"Yes, we will continue. I will send Lexa to Ezca. I didn't think we would have a battle so soon, anyway, lets get Alaric a little nervous..."

Silence took over the room. Crowner last words still reverberated in the air, as kept alive by the hatred they were uttered with, when someone knock on the door.

"Come in," the king growled from his chair.

"Everything's ready," Lexa said from the doorpost "Where is Eylack?"

"He is gone," Crowner said without giving it too much importance. He got up and went to meet his sister. "I want you to go to the island of Ezca, take a full squad. There you will find Vanaheim knights sent by their king. Kill them all."

Lexa nodded again as she began walking towards the main courtyard of the castle, where her men were waiting. She knew from the beginning that her brother would not settle for just conquering some land, when he could have it all. The deal he had offered to Alaric had always seemed far-fetched. Alaric could never pay for a murder with a couple of mountains if it was dealing with the king of Duatros. The princess thought Alaric would learn that by force.

She reached the esplanade where her men kept rigid positions before her arrival.

The lieutenant stepped forward.

"We are ready to go, ma'am. Where is our destination?

"Ezca" Lexa said as she checked that everything was ready. "I'll go with you. Intercept the knights who want to rescue the queen. Our mission is to finish them off"

"But, m'lady..."

"What?!" the princess exclaimed before the questioning of her subject.

"Well..., ma'am. Why Ezca? Why not rather wait here?

"Anyone who wants to cross the Great Sea will have to go through Ezca island to stock up. It's an easy ambush. Now stop questioning the king's orders and get the soldiers on board of the fastest ship we have in the docks.

The lieutenant obeyed immediately.

**Author's Note:**

> A/N: I hope you liked this AU idea, I will try to update this story as soon as possible. The reviews are a very important factor in the writers updates, did you know that?
> 
> A/N 2: This story is centered in Clarke, at least initially. But do not despair, Lexa will make a triumphant entry at any time.
> 
> A/N 3: I am really sorry for my poor english.


End file.
